This invention relates to manicure implements, and, more particularly, to such implements that are hard, highly resistant to corrosion damage, and retain a good cutting edge.
A manicure is a procedure in which the nails of a person's hand are cleaned, shaped, and polished. The adjacent cuticle region of the skin may also be treated. Similar procedures (usually termed a pedicure) are also used for the nails of the feet. As used herein, the term "manicure" is to be broadly interpreted to include treatments associated both with the nails of the hands and with the nails of the feet. The manicure procedures improve the health and the appearance of the nails. The manicure may be self-administered or may be performed by a professional manicurist.
Various types of implements are used in performing the manicure. These implements include nippers of various types (including trimmers and scissors), pushers, curettes, rasps, and files. The implements should be functional and durable. Those implements that are intended to perform a cutting function, such as the nippers, trimmers, scissors, and some edges of the curettes, must receive and thereafter retain a cutting edge after extensive use. At the present, the implements are typically made of a quality stainless steel such as type 420 stainless steel.
Additionally, the manicure implements used by the professional manicurist must be corrosion resistant to disinfectants. State laws require that the manicure implements be disinfected after being used in a procedure for one person and prior to their use for a procedure with another person. The conventional disinfecting practice is to immerse the manicure implement into a liquid disinfectant compound or solution for a prescribed period of time.
In the past, phenolic compounds have typically been used as the disinfectant. Phenolic compounds are effective to kill a number of common disease-transmitting agents that may be found on a person's hands or feet. Stainless steel manicure implements may be immersed in phenolic compounds for extended periods of time without any discernable damage to the implements. However, the phenolic compounds may not kill certain other disease-transmitting agents.
More recently, heightened concern with transmission of diseases has led to the consideration and adoption of other disinfectants as well as the phenolics. For example, quaternary ammonium compounds, sometimes termed QUATs in the art, are gaining favor and being adopted by some states as required disinfectants. The QUATs are more successful in killing some disease-transmitting agents than are the phenolics.
On the other hand, the QUATs also attack and corrode the metal of the manicure implements more aggressively than do the previously used disinfectants. Even manicure implements made of high-quality stainless steels are corroded by immersion in the QUATs in only a relatively short time.
There is a need for an improved approach to the structure of manicure implements. The present invention fulfills that need, and further provides related advantages.